Matt keen to get back on course

MATT Fitzpatrick is relishing his status as tournament favourite as he seeks a first PGA Tour title to make it back-toback wins since his Ryder Cup nightmare.

Fitzpatrick endured a second unhappy appearance in the biennial contest at Whistling

Straits, losing all three of his matches – to take his overall record to 0-5 – as Europe suffered a record 19-9 defeat.

The 27-year-old from Sheffield looked set to register his first point when he was one up with three to play against Daniel Berger in the final singles match, only to lose the 16th to a birdie and then hit his approach to the last into Seven Mile Creek.

Fitzpatrick bounced back three weeks later to win the Andalucia Masters and the world No 26 has been made favourite to come out on top in an incomplete and weakened field in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

“I felt like I played really well obviously at Valderrama and I played really well at the Ryder

Cup as well,” Fitzpatrick said.

“Obviously nothing to show for it, unfortunately, but I felt like my game was trending in the right direction. To play my first week back and win kind of proved that to myself and gave me some confidence going into the end of the year. So I’m looking forward to getting going again this week.”

With the WGC-HSBC Champions event being cancelled for the second straight year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bermuda Championship has again been upgraded to “full-field” status, meaning 500 FedEx Cup points, a two-year PGA Tour exemption and Masters invite to the winner.

Fitzpatrick admitted that was a factor in his decision to play at Port Royal Golf Course instead of the Houston Open in a fortnight’s time.

“Definitely,” Fitzpatrick added. “I don’t think I’ve ever been a favourite before. It’s nice, but what was also a big draw was it’s gone to the standard 500 points for a win.

“It gives me a great chance to get my season off to a great start to try to make the Tour Championship next year.”